Family
by Merula
Summary: AU, yaoi, hints of 12, Duo and Heero run into each other again after the war.


Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine. Hints of 1x2ness. Don't like, don't read!

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I sat on the balcony of my apartment, on the railing, watching people go by from my precarious perch.

So, it was only the second floor. I have to take my thrills as I can find them these days.

I watched as people scurried by below me, no one really looking up at me at all, every one of them focused on their own lives. It was a holiday, and yet everyone seemed to be in such a rush. Eager to get back to their homes and celebrate with friends and family.

I looked back into my nearly empty apartment and raised my soda can to my cat. She didn't even so much as open an eye in my direction. Spoiled brat.

It was my fault I was alone, I really shouldn't complain. After that Mariamaia mess I got asked to join the Preventers with Chang. I didn't like the idea of wearing a uniform, so I said no. I went back with Hilde to the yard, but after a year or so I realized I was in her way. Hilde was a sweetheart, but she didn't need to keep hanging around someone like me. She needed someone who could take better care of her. Someone who loved her as more than a friend.

So I took off. Sure enough, I saw an announcement six months or so later that she was engaged. Didn't surprise me. Hilde's a class act; I knew someone would snatch her up. I sent a card, but left off the return address.

I didn't quite know what to do with myself at first. I thought about asking Trowa for a job at the circus, but what do I know about any of that? Same thing with Quatre.

Huh. Their announcement was in the paper only a week or so ago. Took them long enough… I'll have to remember to send a card.

It wasn't too hard to find work though. I went to Howard and the Sweepers network and found a job easily enough. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad and it paid for the roof, the bills and food. I filled the rest of my time with volunteer work.

Got to atone somehow.

I had friends here, sure, that's never been too hard for me. Some of them had even invited me to join them today- but I turned them down. This was a family holiday, the celebration of some miracle that had occurred in this city. I didn't believe much in miracles and I didn't really feel like being around families.

That sounds awful, I know it does, but there were only a few people that I considered 'family' and all of them were dead or far away, or missing.

Howard was on a salvage ship somewhere- he kept in regular contact with me, sweet old guy that he was- though hell if I'd tell him that.

Quatre and Trowa were on L4 last I heard. Quatre had dived back into his business and was super busy. Trowa had been touring the colonies with the circus, but he'd given it up for a job with Quatre's company a few months ago. I sent them an email occasionally, but that was about it.

Chang was in Sanq with the Preventers. I didn't talk to him much- he was a bit pissed that I hadn't joined up and worked for my atonement that way.

Heero… Who the hell knew where Heero was. He had vanished after that final battle and no one had been able to track him down. I know Relena had tried for a while.

Some of the others thought he was dead, but I doubted it. That guy was probably somewhere keeping an eye on things, making sure that the sphere stayed peaceful.

I wish he had asked me to help him again- I wouldn't have minded. Heero was difficult to work with at times, but I didn't care.

I laughed at myself. Sometimes even a person that doesn't lie has to lie, especially to themselves.

I let my focus return to the people on the street below.

A mother, with a firm grip on the small child beside her, toting a bag of groceries, moving as quickly as the little legs beside her could go. A couple, arms around each other's waists, drifting down the sidewalk. A single woman, phone against her ear, hips swinging, sauntering along. A teenage boy, earphones on, dancing to the music only he could hear, nearly bumping into people with every step. A young man, head down, walking quickly, eyes on the street in front of him, bangs shading his…

Huh. He looked a lot like…

The guy looked up for a moment, avoiding the teenager with the headphones, giving me a brief look at his face, and I nearly fell off my balcony.

"HEERO!" I yelled.

I wondered for a moment if he'd hear me.

I wondered if he'd hear me and just keep going.

I wondered if I was seeing things.

The guy stopped and looked around, giving me an even clearer view of his face.

He frowned when he saw me.

Yep. That was Heero.

I grinned and waved at him.

The frown became a scowl.

I wondered if he was going to try and shoot me off the balcony. You never knew with Heero.

I just kept smiling. If he was going to kill me then I should at least make an effort to leave a pleasant looking corpse.

The scowl vanished and was replaced with a resigned look. Heero's usual expression when dealing with me. Some things never changed.

He stepped out of the pedestrian flow of traffic and stood underneath me, head tilted up.

"Duo? What are you doing here?"

"I live here."

"Live here?" his eyes widened with surprise. "You were on L2 with Hilde. Why are you here?"

"I moved." I tilted forward a bit and he frowned again.

"Be careful!"

"I am!" I grinned back. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here." I blinked at him. "In this city." He clarified.

"Really?"

"Yes," he tilted his head to the side. "A few blocks that way."

I automatically turned to look in that direction, bemused by his presence, and had to catch myself from falling off the railing again.

Heero drew in a sharp breath. "Why don't I come up there? Get off that railing and go open your door for me."

He headed towards the entrance to my building and I got off the railing.

For a moment I thought he was going to fake me out- wait for me to go inside and then take off down the street.

But he didn't. I opened my door to find him walking up the stairs. I waved him into my apartment and closed the door behind him.

"Can I get you something to drink?'

"Water's good." He was scanning my apartment, eyes traveling over my sofa and entertainment system and cat.

"You live here alone?"

"Yeah," I went into the kitchen and pulled two bottles of water from the fridge, stowing my half-drunk soda inside.

"Can I ask why?"

I handed him his water and smiled. "Is that tact from Heero Yuy?"

"I've learned a few things."

"Well, we live and learn, right?"

He smiled as he followed me back into my living room. "You're stalling."

"I guess I am." I shrugged as I sat down on the sofa. Heero perched on the other end. "Wish I could tell you some great story, but the truth is that I decided that Hilde needed some space, so I moved here. Got a job, thanks to Howard. I do some volunteer work, have some casual friends… nothing really exciting I'm afraid."

He leaned back against the cushions, smile widening slightly. "You sound as if you're expecting me to tell you that my life has been one adventure after another."

"It would fit."

He shook his head. "Nope. Wandered around for a while working odd jobs and got tired of it. I settled down here about a year ago. That's it."

"Made friends?" He twisted the water bottle around in his hands.

"Like you said- casual ones. It's hard sometimes for me to relate to civilians. Some of them see the gundams as evil, some of them don't… I don't tell anyone what I was."

"Me either. I just say I was a Sweeper before."

"Do you talk to the others?"

"Not much, just emails. Quatre was the only one I ever spent any time with really, and he's wrapped up in all those businesses of his. I guess he and Trowa finally made it official."

"I saw the notice," Heero nodded. "I wondered when they'd get around to it."

"I can't ask you the same question- I know the others thought you were dead." Heero's eyebrows went up.

"Why would I be dead?"

"You didn't contact Relena."

"Was I supposed to?"

I sighed. He couldn't be that dense, could he? "Well, you had that crush on her and all…"

His eyes widened.

"Surprised we knew? You didn't think you were being covert about it, did you?"

"I didn't think I was showing her any encouragement," he retorted.

"Ah, but you were," I told him. "Who showed up to rescue her over and over?"

"She's important to the government- and you went with me a few times." He pointed out.

"Nice cover for you."

"Really Duo…" He shook his head. "Nice try."

"I hope you don't think I'm agreeing with your assessment of the situation." I lifted an eyebrow at him and he laughed.

"I think I've actually missed you." He said and I nearly fell over.

"You have changed." I told him.

"I hope so," he retorted. "Living things need to adapt and change. I wouldn't have survived if I had stayed the same. You've changed too."

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't wearing black." He nodded at my blue jeans and green T-shirt. "You always had some black on before. Have you finally stopped mourning?"

Heero still didn't pull his punches. I had told him about the Maxwell Church years ago when he had asked me why I dressed like a priest and yet swore like a sailor. I don't think he was expecting the answer I gave him, but points to Heero even then- he had listened.

"Yeah, kind of," I admitted. "I mean, I couldn't hang on to them forever. I honor their memory, but…" I twisted the cap of my water bottle.

"You're alive and you need to live your life."

"Exactly. Besides, they wouldn't have liked the revenge stuff. So now I do other things."

"You said you volunteer?"

"Yeah. I work at a homeless shelter and I sometimes man the suicide hotline for this area too. Nothing big."

"I volunteer at the Children's Hospital." That made me blink.

"Really?"

"Yes," Heero smiled. "And no, I haven't scared one child yet."

"I wasn't going to ask that!" I protested. "It just… that's not where I thought you would want to go."

"Like you Duo, I have my reasons." Heero looked around my apartment again. "You doing anything for today?"

"For the holiday? Nah," I shook my head. "I got invited along to some things, but it's a family holiday. I felt like I would be intruding or something."

Heero got to his feet. I assumed he'd tell me that he had plans, or it was time for him to go. I doubted I'd see him again.

He surprised me when he held out a hand to me. "C'mon then," he said, as I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet. "Let's go get some supplies and make dinner like everyone else in the city is doing."

I blinked at him. "Are you serious?"

"Why else would I offer?" Heero gave me an odd look. "Though I think we'll need to cook at my place, you don't look like you cook often."

"I don't," I admitted, and let him pull me to the door. "Heero- not that I don't want to go, but- why are you offering? I really thought you'd just visit and want to vanish again…"

Heero stopped. "Duo, like you said, today's a family holiday- and you're the closest thing I have to family here. You know what I was and you know what I went through. I think that counts, don't you?"

My chest felt tight for a moment. "Yeah." I grabbed my keys and followed him out on the landing. "It counts a lot."


End file.
